Bite
by condesce
Summary: Young vampire Alfred Jones looks for a place to stay for the night. Little did he know that the encounter with the master of the house could very well change his life / AU USUK vampire fic.
1. Chapter 1

Alfred Jones didn't know what he did to deserve this.

Currently he stood under a tree in the pouring rain with a pout gracing his handsome face. After finding out what he was, yet another village banished him with the threat of death if he should ever return. At least they were reasonable; the last village he attempted to reside at almost chopped his head off. Luckily enough for him he was pretty fast.

Was his existence that much of a bother? Sure, he was a vampire, and he really shouldn't be surprised that people wanted him dead. They didn't trust him. They were convinced that he would suck them dry just like every other vampire in these parts. It frustrated him. How was he supposed to be the hero now?

He sighed and hugged his cloak closer to him as the cold wind bit into his pale skin. He sighed; there had to be a place around here somewhere where he could spend the night. He only needed to rest. He'd already fed, so that wasn't much of a problem. Yes, he was still thirsty seeing as deer blood didn't quite satisfy his needs. But it would do for now.

Alfred decided that if he was going to find somewhere to stay, he would have to find it sooner rather than later. He looked up at the sky and squinted as the cold droplets fell into his eyes. The rain didn't look like it was going to let up any time soon, so he had the choice of moving now and dealing with it, or standing here all night in the cold and feeling utterly miserable. He chose the former and once again hugged his cloak tighter to himself and pulled the hood over his head, then stepped out onto the dirt road and started to walk.

He grumbled to himself for a good chunk of his journey and he stopped and stared ahead. There, in the distance, was a light. And it wasn't just any light. From what he could tell, it was a light from a window. And a light from a window meant that someone lived there and this meant that he was saved.

Well... hopefully. If they don't turn him out. Alfred picked up his pace and eventually he was sprinting towards the source of light. As he approached he could see the looming figure of a large house. It was obviously a couple hundred years old and it probably belonged to some rich business man. Alfred didn't care though. He raised his hand and took hold of the large gargoyle-shaped knocker and knocked three times. Keeping the cloak close to him, he looked out for any signs of life. Nothing so far. The house was deadly silent and he was worried he was seeing things.

He raised his hand again to knock but the door opened a crack and a pair of blue eyes looked up at him.

"Yes?"

Alfred smiled at the boy and said, "Hey... sorry to bother you at this time, but... I'm looking for a place to stay...?"

_Please, please, please take pity on me!_

The boy looked unsure and he shifted on the spot nervously. Alfred bit his lip. He was going to say no, wasn't he? Fabulous...

However the boy shocked him. He eventually replied with: "I'll ask my br—the master of the house..." he stepped aside and let Alfred in.

The young vampire looked around in awe. This place was huge! Well... he knew that just from looking at it from the outside, but Jesus!

"What's your name?" Alfred asked kindly and the boy glanced up at him.

"Peter, sir."

"Peter? Well, thanks for being kind, Peter. I appreciate it!" Alfred beamed. His fangs were hidden; he knew better than to just have them on show.

Peter managed a small smile in return and said, "Stay here..." he disappeared quickly and quietly. Alfred nodded and looked around the huge area. The huge staircase in front of him loomed and cast a shadow over the rest of the area. Alfred looked to his right to see a few doors leading off to different rooms. He looked to the left and saw the same thing. He looked up the staircase, which separated on both sides to form individual steps, both leading to the east and west side of the house. Alfred looked up; a large chandelier was situated above him. He wondered how anyone could light the candles from that height.

He walked around a little to notice a few paintings on the walls. Even though he took a long, hard look at them, he didn't have a clue who they were. He noticed the name plaques and they told him their names, but he still didn't know who these people were supposed to be and why they were so important to have a painting of themselves. Were they perhaps past owners of this large accommodation? He didn't know.

"Hello, I see you've decided to take a look around."

Alfred jumped and let out a tiny squeak of surprise. Even with his super awesome haring, he didn't even know this man had been behind him the whole time. How long had he been there anyway? How long had he been standing in the shadows, waiting for Alfred to notice him?

The man himself wasn't that impressive, Alfred noticed. He was a little shorter than himself with a head of messy blond hair. Above his eyes sat massive eyebrows and Alfred had to force himself not to look at them. He looked pretty normal, except for the brightness of his eyes. They were a vivid green that could rival the most beautiful emeralds in the world. Alfred felt himself captivated. He had to force himself to look away. He forced himself to look at the man's attire. It looked rather expensive, which wasn't surprising seeing as he lived in a house such as this. His shoes were black and polished, his pants were black (Alfred couldn't place the material). The man wore a while shirt under his black vest and a jacket over the top to finish. Alfred wondered if this man had a top hat too, seeing as his voice had an English accent.

"So..." the man began and walked a little closer to his guest, "Which village exiled you this time?"

Alfred blinked, "E-excuse me? I-I don't know what you mean..."

"Oh come off it," the man sighed, "I sensed you the moment you walked through my door. Please tell me you can sense others of your kind?"

_Oh..._

That would explain why Alfred felt to drawn to him. When travelling around different villages, Alfred noted that whenever he spoke to the people, they could never look away from his eyes no matter how hard they tried. Alfred had never met another quite like himself, so he didn't really know what he was looking for in terms of sensing them. But now he knew.

"I've never met another... vampire before..." he said with a small smile. For some reason, this man made him nervous.

The man looked surprised, "How old are you?"

"Nineteen..."

He shook his head, "How old are you?"

"...A year old, sir." Alfred said with uncertainty.

This was the answer he was looking for. The man nodded, "I understand. Now then, Peter has informed me that you are in need of some shelter for the night."

Alfred nodded, "Yes, sir..." he didn't want to piss this man off. He could easily throw him back out into the rain, and he could easily kill him... and that was not something Alfred wanted to happen.

The man contemplated for a couple of moments before coming to a decision, "Very will. I have decided to allow you to stay here for this night, and for this night only."

Alfred gave the man the biggest smile he could muster and without thinking he engulfed the smaller in a huge embrace.

The man obviously didn't know what was happening and he pushed at Alfred, "G-get off me you git!"

Alfred released him and smiled, "Sorry... it's been a while since anyone has been nice to me."

The man huffed, "If you were a human you'd already be dead. Think yourself lucky."

Alfred nodded, "I do... I really do... thank you."

The man nodded and turned on his heel. He walked away and Alfred supposed he should follow him. He hurried behind him and continued to look around.

"Hey... what's your name?" he asked. The man looked over his shoulder and stopped suddenly, so suddenly that Alfred almost walked into him.

"Oh, how terribly rude of me! My name is Arthur Kirkland," the man stated and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you!" Alfred beamed and shook his hand, "I'm Alfred F. Jones, but you can just call me the hero!"

"The hero?" Arthur asked with a slightly amused expression and removed his hand.

"Mmhm!" Alfred grinned happily and took back his own hand. Arthur decided to humour him.

"Well, Mr. Hero, if you would like to continue following me, I shall show you where you'll be staying tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

The room of which Alfred was staying in was large with a high ceiling. Arthur had by now left him alone, and said he would return later. Alfred looked around the room and noticed there was a large bed against the wall; he looked to his right to see a large desk with a large mirror in front of him. He pouted; this must have been a ladies room. He looked to his left to see a large wardrobe. There were a set of drawers situated at one side of the room. He looked up and noticed another chandelier.

At the opposite end of the room was a large door with glass panelling, which led onto the balcony. Alfred would have loved to stand on the balcony and look at the stars, but the storm prevented him from doing so.

He stood by the window for a few more minutes before collapsing on the bed. He was weary from the day's journey, and he was content to just lie there until Arthur kicked him out in the morning. But, within Alfred's family, he was known for being curious. And there was a huge house here just begging to be explored. He was sure Arthur didn't mind; as long as Alfred didn't walk in on him or something.

Jumping up, Alfred walked out the room and made sure to memorize exactly where he was. The last thing he needed was to get lost and end up sleeping in the hallway or something that Arthur would call him stupid for.

When he was sure he knew where he was, Alfred set of in a random direction. The doors he visited held nothing more than rooms similar to his own. They were boring. Alfred turned a corner and found the same thing. He pouted; this wasn't any fun at all.

However, after a couple of minutes, Alfred found the library. It was a large room with books as far as the eye could see. He walked into the room fully and his eyes were wide with bewilderment. He'd never seen so many books in one place. He noticed another chandelier and a fireplace at the other side of the room. There was a large desk which held stacks of paper in which Alfred became interested in and went to take a look.

"Curious, are we?"

Alfred jumped and spun around to face Arthur, who was leaning against the door with an amused expression gracing his features.

"You have to stop doing that!" Alfred stated weakly. Arthur just tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Doing what?"

"Sneaking up on me like that! It's not good for my health, you know!"

Arthur just furrowed his brows in confusion. This Alfred was a weird one, and people thought he himself was strange. He blinked and shook his head.

"No matter. Care to tell me why you are wandering around my house?"

If Alfred was alive and he could blush, he would. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and grinned, "Uh... well I got bored of staying in my room all night. I was curious so I wanted to take a look around... sorry..."

Arthur shook his head, "I suppose it doesn't matter. You weren't doing any harm... yet," he waved him away from the desk and Alfred all too willingly complied. Arthur led him away from the desk and to some plush chairs near the fireplace. Alfred sat with him and Arthur watched him for a moment before speaking again.

"So... where are you from?"

"I'm from America... people at home, uh, didn't take to kindly to what I am."

"It would seem they don't take to kindly to you here, either."

"No, I guess not," Alfred smiled a little. Arthur nodded.

"So did you come here to escape the hostility of the humans back in America?"

"Yeah, and no... I like to travel," Alfred explained, "I like to see new places, and because I hadn't been out of America before, I decided here was a good place to start."

"Oh? And what do you think?"

"Boring."

Arthur stared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"Boring," Alfred repeated, "There is nothing to do!"

"Well here would be a little boring, seeing as we're in the middle of bloody nowhere," Arthur stated. He shifted a little to get comfortable again, "You're nowhere near a city."

"Ah, guess that's why it's boring."

"It would appear so..."

The two sat in silence for a while. Alfred watched Arthur with slightly narrowed eyes.

"You don't talk much, do you?" he asked the other vampire.

"What is there to talk about?" he asked, resting his head on his hand. Alfred thought for a moment then smacked his hand on the arm of the chair.

"Tell me about you!"

Arthur blinked at both his exclamation and his actions. Alfred sat there, leaning forward with curiosity twinkling in his sapphire eyes. Arthur sighed.

"Well, as you already know my name is Arthur. I was born in a small town on the outskirts of London."

"Uh-huh. Tell me more!"

Arthur blinked again. He really didn't want to tell his family history to this man; he barely knew him!

"I think that's enough..." he stated and Alfred pouted.

"Aw come on! I told you about me!"

"You told me where you were from, you stupid git!"

"What's a git?"

Arthur buried his face in his hands. Why on earth did he let this idiot stay with him? Alfred was still looking at him with his head tilted slightly to the left. His oceanic blue eyes never left Arthur's face as he waited for the answer to what he thought was a genuine question.

Alfred suddenly flapped his arms a little, "Oh! Is it another word for hero? Because if it is, that's exactly what I am!"

"Oh dear... you're even more stupid than I originally anticipated..."

"Hey! I'm not stupid!" Alfred huffed. He was sick of people calling him stupid.

Arthur regarded him with a bored expression, "Indeed..." he stood, "Well, I would say it's been a pleasure talking with you, but... it hasn't."

Alfred pouted but the older vampire made no move to sit down again. He moved away from the chair and walked towards the library door, "You may stay here if you wish, but please, for your sake... don't be nosy."

Alfred just nodded and Arthur left him alone with his thoughts.

Arthur didn't seem to like him very much. Maybe he did just take pity on him because he was cold and went and looking for a place to stay... plus they were the same. Gotta stick together, right?

Alfred was determined to get Arthur to like him no matter what.


	3. Chapter 3

Alfred paced up and down the library with a thoughtful expression; he wondered what he could do to make Arthur like him. He didn't want him to hate him, not when they first met! Besides, Arthur was like him, and the irritated Englishman was the only person like him who he had met. Alfred wasn't going to leave so easily... if that was what Arthur was trying to do, that is.

Alfred started to get a little thirsty- he hadn't long since fed but all this thinking was making him more peckish than usual. He left the library and walked down the hall in a random direction to see if he could find Arthur.

Alfred tried to remember paintings and features of the different halls he walked down in order to find his way back to the library- from the library he knew his way back to his room but from here, he had no idea. Not yet anyway. The portraits he glanced at held no interest to the blond vampire. He didn't recognise any of them and nor did he care about knowing who they were. He just wanted to find Arthur.

And eventually he did. Fifteen minutes of wandering aimlessly through the long halls, he eventually found a large study and found Arthur had decided to take refuge in there from him. Without bothering to knock, he walked straight into the study and beamed brightly, "Hey Artie!"

Arthur jumped a little, having not expected the younger vampire to just walk in unannounced, "Bloody hell! Don't you know how to knock?"

Alfred tilted his head and looked at Arthur with a blank expression. The older vampire could almost see the cogs turning in the younger's mind as he finally comprehended what he was talking about. He looked to the door, then to the Brit, then nodded slowly, "Oh... sorry... anyway!" he walked up to the desk and rested the palms of his hands on the polished wood so he could lean forward, "Hey! I was wondering if you have any blood around here! I'm getting thirsty again!"

"Unless you want to go outside in the storm, I cannot help you," Arthur said and continued with what he was writing, "I don't have anything here."

"Then how do you feed?" Alfred asked incredulously. Arthur felt like smacking him.

"I hunt just like you, you stupid idiot."

"All right, stop calling me stupid!" Alfred narrowed his eyes slightly but Arthur didn't even spare him a glance. He continued writing and Alfred was getting irritated. What was he writing that was so important that he couldn't even look at him when he was talking?

"I'm only stating the truth," Arthur explained. The younger vampire's lips formed a thin line as the irritation he was feeling started to get stronger.

"You know, you're really stuck up! You're not even nice!"

"You can't get by in the world by being nice," Arthur said and glanced at him before returning to writing.

"Well you don't have to be a jerk. You know, I was thinking of starting fresh but I don't know if I want to now."

"Starting fresh?" Arthur asked and finally stopped writing to look up at him. His emerald eyes held genuine curiosity- as if he really wanted to know what Alfred was getting at. He waited for him to continue.

Alfred was a little shocked that Arthur was finally paying him attention but he continued anyway, "Yeah... because we're the same, you know? I wanted us to be... friends? You might be able to get by alone but I don't know if I can. Not yet anyway. I know I'm a hero and stuff but I have no idea where I am and knowing someone would be great. Knowing someone I like, that is. I'm willing to forget what happened between us and start fresh right here and right now, like we've only just met."

Arthur listened with interest. He could see that the boy meant well. He was only young and he was in a strange new environment of which he needed to get used to. He would be all right after a while, he was sure of it but right now he needed someone to rely on. He could see it was hard for him to admit that, but there wasn't anything he could do.

"All right... let's start over."

Alfred beamed and leant back. He extended his hand to the older vampire and stated, "Hi! I'm Alfred F. Jones! It's nice to meet you!"

Arthur quirked a small smile at the American's optimism and shook his hand, "Pleasure to meet you, Alfred. My name is Arthur," he let go of his hand and stood up, "if you would like to follow me please."

Alfred looked a little confused but he followed Arthur out of the room anyway. The two walked along the halls in silence until Alfred had to inquire about the paintings.

"They're Britain's previous Kings and Queens," he said and explained about each painting as they passed it. Alfred pretended to look interested because he didn't want Arthur to dislike him. He had agreed to put the disastrous first impression behind him and start a fresh- he wasn't going to blow it.

Alfred nodded and spoke when required and he was pleased that Arthur looked happy when he had to explain about Britain's monarchy. He seemed very interested in the subject and was keen to talk about it. Alfred was glad that Arthur was happy.

Alfred just enjoyed listening to Arthur's voice rather than what he was actually saying.

Eventually Arthur led him to a door and he reached into his pocket to reveal a set of keys. After fumbling with them for a moment trying to find the correct one, he finally got the door unlocked and he pushed it open. Alfred looked over his shoulder at the dark descent and shook his head, "No way."

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked and looked at the younger.

Alfred's face had gotten paler- if that was possible- and he looked terrified. Arthur tilted his head and turned to face him, "What's the matter?"

Alfred had backed away a few paces and looked at the older vampire with wide eyes, "I'm not going down there!"

"Why not?" Arthur asked, "If you want blood, then you'll have to."

"Huh?"

"I lied earlier. I do have blood here; I just didn't want you to have any."

Alfred pouted, "Nice."

"Indeed. Anyway, if you do wish to have some then you will have to accompany me down there," he nodded to the dark passage way. Alfred whined and shifted his weight. He looked extremely conflicted.

"All right... all right, but I'm clinging to you!" he declared and without warning, he attached himself to Arthur's arm. The older vampire froze a little and attempted to tug his arm free.

"Alfred... let go."

"No way, I'm not going down there unless I can stay like this," the other insisted and looked at Arthur with a pout and his infamous 'kicked puppy look'. Eventually the British vampire gave up and sighed.

"Fine... just don't hold on too tightly," he said, "and watch your footing, the steps can be a little dangerous. Hold on to this too," he lit a torch and handed it to Alfred. The younger vampire took it with a shaky hand but was able to help light up the stairway.

Arthur didn't approve the way Alfred was holding on to him; the stairs were narrow and if he slipped, both of them would suffer for it. He didn't want any accidents. He decided to take it slow in order to guarantee both their safety. With his free hand he held on to the railing tightly and started to make the descent. Beside him, Alfred was whining and whimpering and when Arthur looked at him he noticed that the other had his eyes closed. Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"Alfred! Open your eyes and look where you're going! You're going to get us both hurt if you slip!"

"No way! I'm not looking at those ghosts!"

Ghosts? So this was what this was all about, "Oh Alfred... there are no ghosts down here, I assure you."

"How do you know? You can't see them!"

What a huge lie. Arthur saw things that others couldn't all the time, but not wanting to scare the boy any further he sighed, "And you can?"

"Uh... maybe!"

Arthur chuckled, "Alfred, I absolutely promise you there are no ghosts down here. Now stop being silly."

Alfred looked at him with a sceptical look and eventually nodded. His grip on Arthur's arm loosened a little (but he didn't completely let go) and he held the torch as still as he could.

The two finally got to the bottom and Arthur unlocked another door. Alfred immediately started to shiver when he stepped into the new room. He held the torch and moved it around so he could see the room better. It was a large circular room with a high ceiling. Around the room were tables but he couldn't see what was on them.

"You said blood was down here, right?"

"Correct," Arthur said and walked further into the room, bringing Alfred with him so he had the light. He took the torch from him and after a few moments he handed the younger a cup full of red liquid. Alfred sniffed it and raised his eyebrows.

"Human blood?"

"Yes," he said then frowned, "You do drink it... don't you?"

"Not very often," he said and took a large swig of the blood. He didn't really like killing humans because he was the hero, but now and then he had no choice. Arthur saw he drank it without any problems so he said nothing more about it.

"How did you get it?"

"From visitors," Arthur said, "Peter leads them down here and I get their blood. We store it so we don't have to venture out often."

"Right," Alfred nodded and finished the cup quicker than he would have liked but he felt replenished nonetheless. Arthur took the cup from him and led the way back up the stairs. He locked the doors behind him and when they reached the hall again, Alfred shuddered and looked at Arthur, "That place is so creepy!"

"Yes, yes..." Arthur regarded him with a lazy expression and put the keys back in his pocket. He looked over at Alfred and noticed the other still had a little blood at the corner of his mouth. Arthur moved forward and without warning he licked the blood away with a tiny smirk.

Alfred's eyes widened at Arthur's actions and he was too stunned to protest. He watched the older vampire smirk a little as he licked the blood away and he felt as though electricity was surging through him when Arthur's lips and tongue touched his skin. The older vampire pulled away and said, "Did you enjoy your treat? I don't let many people have it."

"Y-yeah..." he said weakly and Arthur nodded. The Brit stepped back a few paces and turned on his heel to walk back down the hall. Alfred touched the corner of his mouth where Arthur's lips had been and if he could blush he would be the colour of red roses by now.

He didn't know what had happened, and he didn't know how to feel about it. All he knew was that he wanted to be with Arthur and that was why he was following him back down the hall.

Alfred caught up with Arthur and walked along side him in silence. He could feel his lips tug upwards in a small smile; the scene of what just happened played over and over in his mind.

It was wrong, and he knew it. He knew it was wrong in every single way, but call him a liar if he said it didn't feel so right.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry it's taken so long! I know it sounds stupid but I hit a wall with this just after two chapters. However inspiration hit me and I made it my mission to get this up xD

And would you look at that! Relationship development! :O

(I still don't know how long this is going to be xD)


	4. Chapter 4

Morning came quicker than Alfred had hoped. The sky was clear with very little clouds and the sun shone brightly. Alfred cursed when he realised that it would be a nice day. He would have to be extra careful.

Alfred had left his room to find Arthur. He wanted to thank him for taking him in for the night, and he wanted to tell him how awesome he was for doing so. He was very grateful, and he would never forget it. Arthur didn't have to allow him to stay in his house, but he did. Alfred didn't know if it was out of kindness or pity, but the point was, was that he did and that was the end of it.

Now he faced the problem of actually finding the older vampire. He puffed his cheeks in a pout as he left Arthur's study. He was there an hour ago, so where the hell was he now? He looked down the hall both ways and he saw a tuft of blond hair pass a corner on the right side of the corridor. Alfred hurried towards the hair and turned the corner then smiled, "Hey Peter!"

He smaller boy turned around and crossed his arms, "Hi. What do you want?"

"Have you seen Arthur?"

"Yeah, the jerk went to his room. Aren't you supposed to be leaving?" Peter inquired. Alfred nodded and smiled, "Yeah, I just wanna say thanks before I go."

"Right," Peter nodded, "Well don't bother because jerk-Arthur won't care."

Alfred frowned. Surely he would appreciate thanks? He didn't know anyone who wouldn't! "I'm sure he will. Where's his room?"

"Down the hall and take a left," Peter said and continued on his way, "But like I said, don't bother. He won't care!"

Alfred didn't believe him. He thought Peter was just painting Arthur to look like bad guy when the American knew that he really wasn't. He'd figured Arthur out; he was just lonely and in need of a friend. That's right! Alfred was sure it was. And he would be that friend he so desperately desired. But he needed to know.

"Why do you call Arthur a jerk? I don't think he is."

Peter looked over his shoulder before he turned another corner, "Because he is. You don't know him. You've been here one night."

Alfred shrugged. He still thought Arthur was a nice guy. Alfred wasn't the best person when it came to reading the atmosphere and whatnot. If someone was upset he wouldn't even know unless they started to cry or they told him. But he knew if someone was a good person... or in Arthur's case, vampire. He just knew. He could feel it in his gut. His gut instincts were never wrong.

Alfred followed Peter's directions and looked at the doors down that hall. One door looked more lavish than the others so he presumed that was Arthur's room. He knocked on the door and waited for a response. He smiled when he heard footsteps and he smiled wider when the older vampire opened the door and cast him an irritated look.

"Can I help you?"

"Actually I was just leaving," Alfred smiled, "And I just wanted to say thanks for taking me in."

Arthur blinked and when he realised what Alfred was staying, he cleared his throat and replied in a gruff tone, "Well... I was only doing the right thing. It wouldn't be gentlemanly to not help you..."

Alfred smiled brightly and moved forward. He engulfed the older man into a large bear hug and exclaimed, "Right! And you are totally awesome for that! Thanks so much!"

Despite Arthur's struggles, Alfred held on until he felt he was finished. When that time finally arrived, he released the disgruntled Brit and cast another bright smile in his direction, "Well, I guess I'll go now. Thanks again, dude."

As Alfred turned away, Arthur caught hold of his wrist. He looked down as he started to speak, "Actually... I was rather hoping you would..."

"Would what?" Alfred asked and blinked owlishly at the other man. Arthur shifted and released Alfred's wrist and continued, "I was rather hoping you would... um... like to stay here..."

Alfred blinked once again then smiled. His smile was the biggest that Arthur had seen so far and before he could do anything about it, he was pulled into yet another hug. Crushed against Alfred's firm chest, all he could do was flail around hopelessly as Alfred spouted all sorts of excitable, incoherent nonsense. When he was released, Alfred bounced happily and stated, "You're so awesome Arthur! Thanks a lot! Y'know, I was only gunna wander around and hope I find someone as awesome as you but I didn't think I would 'cause you're, like, the awesomest and—"

"Yes, yes, that's quite enough of that," Arthur said and held up a hand to silence the younger male. Alfred stared at him as he left the room and closed the door behind him. The American followed him around like a lost puppy as he continued where he left off.

"—and no one can, like, beat your awesomeness and stuff but now I don't have to find anyone else because I'm staying here with you, which is super cool and I'm really happy you asked me and stuff, 'cause..."

Arthur blocked him out. Was he starting to regret his decision? He looked over at Alfred who was still talking and he shook his head.

No... he didn't regret it for one moment.

* * *

><p>A week had passed and Alfred initial excitement had finally worn off. The man had been so hyperactive that Arthur had considered knocking him out for a few hours just so he could get a moment's peace. When Peter was informed of the decision, he had laughed and told Arthur he would want to kill Alfred by the end of the week and it was safe to say that the boy wasn't wrong.<p>

Alfred hadn't left him alone. He had followed the British man everywhere he went and insisted on spending time together.

"Because that's what friends do!" Alfred had stated as he walked along side Arthur. There was a spring in his step that Arthur's hadn't noticed before. Alfred must be truly happy here.

But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get away from him. Alfred was there no matter where he went. He was like an itch he couldn't scratch or that annoying buzzing sound that one couldn't get rid of. And Arthur knew he shouldn't complain; he had brought it upon himself after all.

Peter loved it, however. He could see that Arthur was suffering and Alfred couldn't see it, so he decided not to say anything about it. Seeing his brother suffer was brilliant. Peter enjoyed every moment of it and because of this he liked Alfred a lot more than he did a week ago. He tolerated him, just for Arthur's discomfort.

Arthur knew he couldn't ask Alfred to leave; the boy would be heartbroken. He had earlier stated that this was the nicest that anyone had ever been to him now that he was different. He felt like someone had truly understood him and he was very thankful for that. Arthur could see it in his eyes. The Englishman had brought this friendship upon himself; he could have said no when Alfred suggested a fresh start, he could have let Alfred go when he was ready to leave... but he didn't.

Despite all of this, after another few weeks of Alfred living with them, Arthur found he was starting to like the boy. Yes, he was irritating, greedy and he talked _way _too much but he found he was breath of fresh air. Arthur had been alone for years. He knew Peter disliked him and he returned the feelings. Alfred brought life to the old house and Arthur found himself smiling a little more than he had been before the boy had entered his life. The place seemed a whole lot brighter now that Alfred was around.

His laughter bounced off the walls and his smile was bright. After a bad day (usually caused by Alfred), all the younger vampire had to do was smile and all would be forgiven. Arthur often wondered if he was going soft but he refused to accept it as a reason.

Alfred was just an irritatingly likeable person.

Arthur and Alfred would often have the house to themselves. Peter had a friend that he liked to spend his time with so he was rarely around and even though Arthur preferred to be alone, as the time went by he found himself wanting to spend time with Alfred too. He would find himself looking for him when he wasn't around and when he found him, the two of them would talk for a while or just sit in what Arthur thought was a comfortable silence- after he had told Alfred to shut up and stop rambling about nothing.

They currently sat in the library- Arthur reading and Alfred looking around on the bookshelves for something that didn't look like it was written by someone who sounded 'a million years old!'

The older vampire turned the page of the novel he currently had. He ignored Alfred moans and complains about the library being boring and he focused on reading. He heard Alfred stomp around and huff and he was probably pouting but the Brit didn't look at him.

"Hey Arthur, can you help me look?" Alfred called after a few minutes of rummaging around. Arthur sighed heavily and carefully placed the book down on the chair. He stood up and walked to the boy; if he didn't help him he would complain for another few hours.

"What kind of book do you want?" he asked as he approached the slightly taller blond. Alfred shrugged, "I'unno, something cool!"

"Can you elaborate?"

"...I would if knew what that meant."

Arthur facepalmed then shook his head, "Never mind. I will find you something and you are going to shut up and read it!" he stated and started to walk down the isle, looking at the bookshelf as he did so. Alfred followed him, also looking but not paying attention to what the titles said. He just wanted Arthur to think he was interested.

They both stopped and looked at a section of books. Alfred finally paid attention to the book names and when he reached for one he thought looked interesting, so did Arthur. Neither of them were quick enough to realise and when they both moved to pick up the book, their hands touched slightly. Alfred glanced at Arthur and Arthur glanced back then looked away almost shyly. He moved his hand away quickly to allow Alfred to pick up the book and he said, "I thought you'd be interested in that one..."

"What's it about?"

"Heroes," Arthur said and he could see Alfred's eyes light up at the word. The other blond opened the book at the first page and read a few lines. Then a few more, and a few more and eventually he sat down on the floor, fully engrossed in the book. Arthur let a light chuckle escape and he decided that Alfred would be quiet for a while so he decided to leave him to it. He went back to his own book and continued reading.

* * *

><p>The day turned into night and Arthur finally set his book down. He looked ahead and saw Alfred still sitting on the floor by the bookshelf and he was still reading. He stood up and walked to the younger vampire and said, "You can finish that tomorrow."<p>

"I don't wanna!" Alfred protested and he whined when Arthur took the book from him. Arthur marked the page and set it back in its place.

"If you continue reading, you'll have nothing to do tomorrow. And besides, we need to go hunting."

"Right... but Arthur..." Alfred said and stood up, "the book said that heroes save people, right?"

"I suppose so, yes. What's this about?" Arthur asked. Alfred shifted on his feet.

"I'm a hero too, y'know. And you smile more when you're with me... does that mean I've saved you too?"

Arthur blinked in confusion, "...Saved me from what?"

"Not being happy," Alfred said simply, "You were always on your own and now you're not and you're not lonely anymore, right?"

"I...I suppose so..." Arthur was utterly confused to where Alfred was going with this but if it made him smile then he would go along with it.

"Then I've saved you too. It's like the story... kinda!" Alfred exclaimed, "In the story, the hero rescues the princess from the evil wizard and she's happy. I'm the hero, you're the princess—"

"I most certainly am not!" Arthur raged, "How dare you even—"

"I only said it was kinda like the story!" Alfred said as though it were obvious. Arthur huffed and the younger continued, "And the loneliness is evil, right? And now it's gone you're saved!" the American beamed and was very proud of his comparison... even if it didn't make much sense to Arthur.

"That's very nice Alfred, I congratulate you..."

"But!" Alfred flailed a little, having not finished, "The hero kissed the princess at the end. Does that mean I get to kiss you too?"

"Alfred, I don't think that—" Arthur began but Alfred didn't wait for an answer. He interrupted Arthur by connecting their lips in a sweet and innocent kiss. Alfred closed his eyes however Arthur kept his wide open. His brain could not comprehend the situation. He remained motionless and his body froze in a state of shock.

Alfred pulled away as quickly as the kiss had started and he looked at the bewildered vampire before him and smiled, "See ya later, Arthur!" he stated and hurried out of the library. Arthur stood rooted to the spot and a moment later he brought a hand up to his lips lightly. He looked over his shoulder at the door where Alfred left from and realised that he had a lot to think about.

Arthur realised that he was a little flirtatious that one time and he couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards the boy.

Did this mean that Alfred felt the same way?

* * *

><p>AN: Just a quick note, if anyone found Alfred's comparison confusing... don't worry because it was supposed to be. Alfie is trying to be smart xD If you understood it then well done ^^ Have a Prussia!


	5. Chapter 5

It was safe to say that Alfred was a very messy eater.

Whenever Arthur went hunting, the process was usually quick, easy and clean. When Alfred joined him... well, said process was turned on its head because the younger vampire was completely useless. He took forever and a day to decide what he wanted to eat; he would watch his prey silently for a moment then decide he didn't want it anymore and look for something else. He made life difficult for himself as he often tripped and scared said prey away. And the clean part... well, Alfred was never clean to begin with. When he was finished feeding there would be blood everywhere. Arthur facepalmed at the state of his companion and sighed, "You really have to learn to feed properly."

Alfred pouted, "I feed just fine," he stated and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He was very much like a child... Arthur had decided that a long time ago. He felt as though he had to babysit the boy and the next time he brought him hunting with him, things would be very different. Just this time, he didn't think that such actions would happen. In other words... he didn't think Alfred would be as messy as he was tonight.

The two vampires arrived back at the house before sunrise and Arthur immediately went to his study. Alfred watched him go and sighed; he hated how Arthur would just lock himself away and come out when it suited him. Peter was never around so Alfred was left alone. Ever since the incident in the library, Arthur hadn't been the same with him. He didn't understand what he had done wrong; he was the hero, right? He had done his job right and he had saved Arthur... but if he had saved Arthur then why did he reject it? He should be happy; he should be smiling at him and thanking him and being grateful that he was saved, but no... Mr. Grumpy-pants stayed in his study and didn't say much to the younger vampire for most of the day. Alfred huffed; just where did he go wrong?

He watched Arthur closed the door to his study and he stomped past the room as loud as he could. He sighed loudly and stated, "Oh, I'm so bored! I wonder if anyone will come and talk to me!"

He waited by the door and listened for any movement from behind it. He pouted when he heard none. He started stomping again and declaring, "I am so bored! I wonder if there is anyone around!"

He stopped and waited again, and the pout soon returned when he didn't hear anything from Arthur's study. Fine, if he wanted to play like that then so be it. Alfred scowled at the door and blew a raspberry in its direction before stomping down the hall as loud as he could towards the library. Seriously, what was Arthur's problem? He wanted to start fresh, right? He said so himself. Then why did he just push him away. Alfred didn't know what he had done that was so wrong.

Was it because he kissed him? The vampire tilted his head; that wasn't wrong... at least he didn't think so. The book said that the hero kissed the princess because he had saved her. Alfred had saved Arthur; therefore he should kiss him, right?

...Or maybe it was because he called Arthur the princess. He nodded as it dawned upon him. That must be it. Arthur was angry because Alfred had deemed him the girl without realizing it. Well, he would just apologise. That was the nice thing to do, right? If he apologised, Arthur would stop being grumpy and talk to him again.

It was perfect. It was so simple.

Alfred left the library and approached Arthur's study again. He knocked on the door, remembering that Arthur didn't like it when he walked straight in before, and waited. A few moments passed and he decided to knock again. He didn't know what was taking Arthur so long to answer the door; what could he be doing in there? Unless he was asleep. Hm...

Alfred tilted his head as he began to think and he barely realised that the door opened and Arthur watched him with a raised eyebrow. When he realised the older vampire was standing there, Alfred grinned brightly and stated loudly, "Hey Arthur!"

"What do you want?" he asked, curious as to why Alfred would bother him.

"Listen! I know why you're mad."

"Oh," Arthur looked pleasantly surprised. Alfred nodded happily and moved closer to the older vampire and continued to speak, "Yeah. It was about what happened in the library, right?"

"Um—"

"So I'm sorry."

Arthur blinked; he was really confused, though Alfred couldn't really see it. He just thought that he had apologised for the right reasons and now everything would be okay.

"Um, Alfred..."

"Yeah?"

"Um... what exactly are you sorry for?" Arthur asked and Alfred's eyes widened. He didn't know. He really didn't know.

"Uh... sorry for calling you a princess!" he stated, wondering how Arthur could forget about that. Understanding reached Arthur's emerald eyes and he nodded slowly. If he could blush, he would be glowing like a beacon right about now.

"Ah yes, I remember now. Well... what's said has been said and there is nothing I can do..."

"So we're cool?" Alfred asked hopefully and Arthur studied him for a moment before replying, "Yes, I suppose we are."

"Great! Wanna come to the library with me?" Alfred asked happily, "I wanna find another hero book and since you know the library better than I do, I wondered if you wanna come along?"

Arthur paused for a moment then looked over his shoulder at the work on his desk. He hesitated then looked back at Alfred and sighed, "Okay fine, I'll come to the library with you. But only for a little bit. I have work to do."

"What work?" Alfred asked with narrowed eyes. What was more important than spending time with him? Nothing! That's what. Absolutely nothing was more important than spending time with the hero. Nothing at all.

"Nothing," Arthur said and closed the door to his study. He locked it behind him and when Alfred gave him a questioning look, he shrugged and said, "I don't trust Peter."

"Peter isn't here."

"Yes he is. He just doesn't want to be found," Arthur said and walked in the direction of the library. Alfred paused for a moment then shrugged, following Arthur like a lost puppy. He stayed close to him and started to talk about everything and anything. He hated the awkward silences that were created between them whenever Arthur didn't feel like talking, so Alfred felt as though he had to talk about anything, just so it didn't seem uncomfortable. He didn't want Arthur leaving because of it.

They reached the library and Alfred hurried to a bookshelf. He looked at the collections and wrinkled his nose at the titles, "They don't look very heroic."

"That's because you're in the wrong section," Arthur sighed and walked down an isle. Alfred blinked then followed him, wandering what he was going to read this time. Arthur continued to walk down the seemingly endless isle of literature until he found what he was looking for. Alfred stood beside him and watched what he was doing. Arthur paused for a moment then reached onto the shelf and retrieved a book. He passed it to Alfred, who looked down at the title and back at Arthur, "Beowulf?"

"Yes, it's a poem-" Alfred scrunched up his nose in distaste, "-but it's about a hero. You may like it."

"Huh," Alfred looked at it with a sigh and turned the book over to inspect it. He didn't seem as interested as he was before but Arthur didn't really care. As long as he shut up for a while then he wasn't bothered if he liked it or not. He watched Alfred take the book to one of the plush couches and open it to the first page. He sat in silence for a while and when Arthur was convinced he wasn't going to speak, he found a book of his own to read and sat opposite him. Every now and then he would glance up to look at the other vampire and he would be entertained by the frown he had adopted. He looked as though he were having a hard time reading the poem but if it made him concentrate then Arthur didn't care.

As if on cue, Arthur looked down as Alfred looked up. The vampire whined lightly and stated, "I don't like it, Arthur."

"And why is that?" he asked in reply, not sparing him a glance.

"It's too hard to understand," Alfred whined again and set the book aside. He moved to sit next to Arthur and continued, "I'd rather spend time with you."

"You are," the older replied lightly, still not looking up at the younger vampire next to him. He felt Alfred shift closer until he was right up beside him, "Arthur! Stop being boring and spend some time with me!"

"I am, you attention-seeking moron!" Arthur snapped, finally looking at him, "I'm here aren't I?"

"Yeah, but—"

"No buts! You admitted it so just leave it at that," Arthur said with finality in his voice. He sighed gently and looked away once more. What would it take with this guy?

"Arthur..."

"What now?"

Alfred shifted closer again, moving his arm around the older vampire. He plucked the book from his hands with his own free one and while the Brit looked enraged, Alfred just continued to smile. He arm remained around him, as though he didn't know it was there. Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but Alfred laid a finger to his lips, causing the other to close his mouth in surprise and curiosity.

Alfred started to think and Arthur continued to watch him. He watched him for any kind of indication to what he was going to do, though in his mind, Arthur already knew. He watched as Alfred looked towards him again and he tightened his grip around his shoulders firmly. He looked over at him and gently Alfred pressed their lips together.

While reading, Alfred had come to the conclusion that perhaps that the kiss he gave Arthur before wasn't good enough and that was why he was mad. So, to make it better, he kissed him again. But something changed the second time round. Arthur kissed back this time, whereas last time, he didn't. Alfred felt elated; this meant that this kiss was better than the first and this time he did it right. He pulled away after a few moments and smiled at Arthur, "Did I do it right this time?"

"...Wait, what?" Arthur asked quietly, bewildered once again. Now he was just plain confused.

"Did I make this kiss better?" he asked with a big grin. Arthur blinked and he realised what was happening. Alfred just thought he was being the hero. He obviously hadn't realised that Arthur had fallen for him. That was twice he kissed him and that was twice he had fucked with his feelings. Arthur wouldn't take it anymore.

He stood up out of Alfred's grip and glared wearily, "Yes Alfred, whatever you want to believe," he replied and walked out of the library. Alfred watched the older vampire leave and he started to frown.

What had he done wrong now? Well whatever it was, he decided he was going to fix it, no matter what.

* * *

><p>AN: Lol look at Alfie's obliviousness~

Wow, I feel as though I haven't written USUK in, like, forever. I seriously feel as though Spamano is becoming my new OTP -hearts-

Anyway, this update was long over-due so here's the next chapter. I should think that this will be coming to an end some time soon. Maybe four more chapters... we'll have to see how I feel. :)

So for now, enjoy~ 


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